It appears that bout agreements are signed for Rousimar Palhares to meet Hector Lombard at the UFC on FX 6 show in Australia in December, according to UFC president Dana White.
Palhares and Lombard are considered two of the most dangerous middleweight fighters in the world. Palhares for his tendency to mangle knees, and Lombard for his ability to put opponents to sleep with a single punch to anywhere on the face.
White broke the news on Twitter with the following tweet:
FX 6 Australia Friday Dec 14Middleweight BoutRousimar Palhares VS Hector Lombard
— Dana White (@danawhite) September 7, 2012
This is a fantastic fight for so many reasons.
The UFC on FX shows have been booked to bring the absolute best that the UFC has to offer in order to really grow the brand. The fights have been very entertaining and booked to really showcase high-level fights to their target audience.
Lombard made his UFC debut earlier this summer at UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch. He ended up losing a split decision that saw the end of his 25-fight win streak.
He was considered one of the best fighters outside of the Zuffa umbrella, and many expected he would then challenge for Anderson Silva‘s belt. That loss put a halt on those plans, and now Lombard needs to prove he wasn’t falsely advertised.
Palhares has also had a bit of a rough go as of late. He faced Alan Belcher at UFC on Fox 3 and had the clear advantage once the fight hit the mat.
Unfortunately, he was unable to lock up a submission and found himself in a precarious position, with Belcher throwing punches from above. He was stopped only seconds later.
Both fighters need to pick up a win here if they have any title aspirations, though I think there is a lot more pressure on Lombard. He has to justify that big contract and prove that he really is as good as he made us believe.
With what’s at stake, I can’t see any way for this to not deliver. Either someone’s going to sleep or going home without a leg. Win-win in my book.
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